Sea Salt Benefits

Salt is not only an indispensable seasoning for food, it is critical to life. Humans and animals alike need salt. Aside from this basic necessity, salt is a useful natural remedy internally and externally for many health conditions, including urinary tract infections, constipation, ringworm, boils, sinus congestion and a sore throat.

Salt is made up of two elements, sodium and chloride. The chemical symbol is NaCl.

Balanced salt levels in the body will maximize health. Too little or too much salt can cause health problems or even death. Animals also need salt. Farm stores sell salt licks for animals like rabbits and cows. These animals will natural lick the salt when their bodies require it. It is a wonderful thing that salt is so beneficial; it makes food taste wonderful!

A 110 pound person has about 40 teaspoons of sodium chloride in the body.1 By weight, a person has a similar concentration of salt as sea water. The presence of salt is realized if tears are sweat are ever tasted.

However, all salts are not created equal. Decades ago consumers had little choice when it came to salt. Currently even small grocery stores sell a variety of salt products. So the question becomes, which salt is best?

Usually when it comes to health, foods and remedies that have been processed the least are ideal.

Types of Salt

Processed Salts

Iodized table salt is a processed salt. The trace minerals in the salt have been removed. Iodine, another critical element to life and health is added. And other chemicals are added as flow agents and anti-caking agents. These would include tricalcium phosphate and sodium aluminosilicate.

Mined Salts

Other salts are mined from the earth. If they are not further processed they will contain salt (sodium chloride) and dozens of other trace minerals that can be used by the body.

Evaporated Salts

Salts that have been harvested from the seas, like mined salts, contain an abundance of trace minerals, unless they are further processed.

Mined and harvested salts are, pound for pound, much more expensive that common table salt. However, even the pricier salts go a long way and do not make a noticeable dent in the budget for most consumers.

Current marketing can make it difficult to decide which unprocessed salt is the most health promoting. One may claim to have 50 trace minerals, while another will claim 80 trace minerals. However, unprocessed salts are composed mostly (about 98%) of simply salt (NaCl) and the remaining 2% will be trace minerals. With the RDA for salt being about ¾ of a teaspoon, 2% of ¾ teaspoon will not amount to much. These 2% of minerals certainly can contribute to overall health but they are not going to overcome a poor diet and lifestyle.

Another marketing claim is that mined salts are superior to salts that come from modern oceans and seas since mined salts have not been affected by pollution as the waters of the earth currently are.

All that said, it does still make sense to avoid processed foods, including salt and invest in an unprocessed salt. A bonus is that unprocessed salt tastes better, too! The trace minerals in a quality salt will compliment a healthful diet and lifestyle.

8 Ways to Use Salt for Health

1. Rehydration

Hospitals routinely use a saline (salt) I.V. to give fluids to a patient. The salt helps the body to retain the needed water.

During times of illness that include fever, vomiting or diarrhea, it is necessary to replace lost fluids from sweating or purging. Adding a pinch of salt to a glass of water or juice will keep the water from being flushed out of the body.

Hot days and strenuous exercise can cause excessive sweating. Rehydrating with water plus a pinch of sea salt will help replace the salt the body has lost during sweating.

2. Urinary Tract Infection

½ to 1 teaspoon of sea salt, added to ½ - 1 glass of water is a natural remedy for bladder infections. This remedy may only be needed one time to be effective.

3. Salt Sock

A clean white tube sock can be filled with salt and tied off at the end. This salt sock can be heated up in the microwave (some keep a microwave just for this purpose!) and used on a ear for an ear ache. The salt can help draw out excess moisture.

Keeping the salt sock in the freezer will provide a ready made cold pack for bumps and bruises or to use on the base of the neck for a headache or migraine.

4. Gargle

For a sore or dry throat a sea salt gargle will help thin post nasal drip, alleviate dryness and kill germs in the throat.

Mix ¼ teaspoon salt into ½ cup warm water and gargle. Repeat the gargle as needed.

5. Mouth Rinse

The same solution used for gargling can be used to rinse the mouth to relieve canker sores. ( ¼ teaspoon salt in ½ cup warm water.)

6. Sinus Rinse

Sea salt sinus rinses can be used in a Neti pot to rinse the sinuses to help a sinus infection, relieve congestion, remove pollen and allergens, or help with overly dry sinuses.

Simply add ½ teaspoon sea salt to a cup of warm water and use the mixture in a Neti pot.

If a Neti pot is not available, try snorting the mixture up into the nose, one nostril at a time. The salt water can also be dripped into the nose with an eyedropper. (This may be the easiest way to get salt water into children's noses!)

7. Nebulization

Vials of saline solution (salt solution) are commonly used in nebulizers. This can bring moisture to the lungs and delivers salt to the lungs for antimicrobial purposes.

8. Bath

Sea salt added to bath water can help to clear up skin conditions like boils and eczema. 1 cup of sea salt is added to a bath.

Acid Reflux

I suffered everyday with acid creeping up and severely hindering my ability to enjoy things in life. I noticed two huge agitators: 1. Over-eating (easy to do for anyone in U.S.) 2. Chocolate (tends to be a great laxative, but also tends to promote the acid problem. Continually the damage done by Acid Reflux caused burning and I found that taking in a good amount of sea salt (with water, foods) cleared it up.

Alkalizing Sea Salt Remedies

Posted by Lori (Delta, Co) on 07/05/2010

I just tested my 1/4 tsp of sea salt in 32 oz of water and it is not alkalizing at all, it's around a 5 on my ph paper. my water from my fridge filter must be acidic. I thought adding the sea salt would alkalize it but it's an acidic formula. I then tested my whole lemon w/1/4 tsp of baking soda and it was very alkaline around 7.5 so i drank that down. I drink water w/sea salt daily and since I broke my arm 3 months ago it makes me swell. what can I add to the water mixture of sea salt and ? to make it alkaline? I also use the borax solution about every other day in my sea salt water. Can I take my lemon mixture and then have my peroxide mix of 3-4 drops in my 32 oz of water that I take to work to drink then I simply drink another 32 oz of plain water?

Lori: Alkaline-Base can cover an entire major chemistry course, but for the body this article is quite good: www.cancer-healing.com/acid_alkaline_balance.php

First, even a known highly alkalizing healthy food like lemon juice/drink will read as an ACID on a pH strip because it is an acid, but since it's a weakly-associated acid, it will break down in the body to easily expelled wastes with leftover alkaline minerals to increase the body pH (alkalize):

Weak acids like the acetic acid in vinegar, and the acids in most fruits and especially lemons, contain lots of minerals which are basic, along with their weak acid part. The weak acid part combines with water and is converted into carbonic acid which then breaks apart into carbon dioxide and water. You breathe out the carbon dioxide and pass the water out through your kidneys. The minerals remain behind to replenish deficient minerals so in fact these weak acids in the end, alkalize your body by supplying more minerals to it.

All those trace minerals in sea salt are alkalizing!Blood serum has the same electrolyte composition as seawater, and that means all the trace minerals in it.But most people are deficient in them.

If you hadn't "neutralized" the lemon juice by adding NaHCO3 to read 7.5pH, then you would have simply read an even higher number for the pure baking soda solution.

I'm not sure why you're experiencing edema "fluid swelling". Is it temporary, like only a few hours? Are your kidney function tests normal?

Hello Greg, the whole thing about alkalizing is to adjust the Ph level in your water. google baking soda for ph levels the baking soda should be aluminum free check the labels I get mine online much cheaper... you can read about the amounts for use online I also recommend using glass for a pitcher or container the b/s might take some chemicals out of the plastic. I mix a gallon at a time. good luck feel free to ask what you need. DW

Sea salt is amazing! It has a mineral content of 84 trace minerals and very alkalizing. Most people lack this minerals these days, because the soil is so deficient. A little pinch of salt in water early in the morning not only flushes your system of toxins, but also replenish your it.

Arthritis in Dogs

If you check our pet testimonials On our watercure2.org site and read the home page story of how this was discovered, you will see that curing pet arthritis is not even a challenge. Just add unprocessed sea salt to its food and water and within 24 hours a pet will stand up and walk with a limp even though previously it had been unable to stand. Best of all it is free. Bob Butts

watercure2.org site is right about the salts and curing pet arthritis.

I used Salts to help my GSD dog with her hips. I used Himalayan salt, which I turned into "sole". 1 teaspoon a day right into the food. My GSD dogs LOVE it!!! Within days she was up and running, chasing the ball. No more whining when she gets up or down. The only issue I had with using the salt was the detoxification effect. I paid 50.00$ for flea repellent (NO CHOICE BUT TO USE IT, I have tried EVERYTHING natural to keep the fleas away) To my surprise everyday when I combed the dogs the fleas were still there in large amounts. After a few weeks, I thought OH, I bet the salt is detoxifying the flea chemical out their bodies. I stopped all salt treatment, waited two weeks then bought new flea stuff and Wala! Fleas gone in a few days.

Now I only use the salt as maintenance. In the winter when the fleas are gone, I will be giving them small daily doses of the salt, until flea season comes again.

My 13 year old (47 lb) dog became slowly lethargic and her back paw started dragging on the ground when walking, and her hips and legs became really stiff... I wanted to watch if this was just temporary, but it lasted more than 3 weeks, and when she started yelping when getting up after lying down, I took her to the vet, who told me to put her on arthritis medicine ($$).

I decided to investigate a natural cure instead (as I don't even take medicine) and based on this site, I started giving her just a few grains (not even a pinch) of unrefined non-oven dried sea salt in her food 1x daily which helped her greatly! Within a week, she was improving, and soon She was even running at the dog park! It has been about 5 months now, and I only give it to her a few times a week and so far so good. Very effective! We have gone on a few 45 minute hikes, and No more pain the next day like she used to have! I tell so many people

I know about this awesome site! God bless all of you who share freely and unselfishly; your integrity, wonderful cures and helpful testimonies are very much appreciated!

Have you tried Diatomaceous Earth for fleas? It's natural and can be dusted on your dog & also a teaspoon added to food. It gets rid of fleas, ticks and mites. It can be purchased at most feed store and at Tractor Supply.

Ted, thanks for your contribution but I cannot find where your recipe is cited for a common cold. If I recall you recommended 2 teaspoons sea salt to 1 liter of water with a whole lemon. Drink this down and hopefully cure your cold. Is this the correct recipe?

Bladder Infection

I am amazed how well sea salt works on the pain from an Urinary tract infection. I was in pain for days and then 30 minutes after drinking a glass of water with one teaspoon of salt I feel almost back to myself. I am writing this the next day, I took it last night and I feel great today. I have an autoimmune disease and take prednisone so I am more susceptible to uti's. Thank you Ted for the salt remedy!!!

I really want to thank this site for being so amazing! I had been suffering from what I believe is a bad uti, since about a couple weeks ago. I was so despirate and hurting a lot when urinating and wanting to go really frequently. I had gotten rid of a previous uti over two months ago - I had aquired it during a bad broncial infection -. Then I got sick again about two weeks ago with a sinus cold and bit of the flu. This caused the uti to come back and flare up stronger then ever! I was so despirate and couldn't do anything. I couldn't go out for long periods where having access to a washroom was very limited. I couldn't do much at all without wanting to practically live my life sitting on the toilet. There was no bleeding at least but I was up and down every 5 seconds sometimes, especially during the day. The only thing that supressed it a bit was drinking about 750ml of water minimum before 4pm in the day and then at least that much again before 8pm at night. I still felt like I had to go more then normal but it wasn't as bad and I wasn't going every 5 seconds and feeling intense pain. I only felt a small bit of pain.

Finally I decided to do some research on the net to see if there was anything I had at home to use as a natural remedy. I had done a few things already. Drinking Cranberry juice, calcium suppliments and upping my dietray fiber intake but they didn't do much at all. So despirately googling for some answers brought me to this site and immediately my eyes found the words sea salt. I then clicked it and read the posts.

So thank you for posting about the sea salt and water treatment. Definently the one dose overnight effectiveness and the fact that I already had some caused me to try it but it was so worth it! I'm barely going more then usual now - unless I'm drinking a lot of water - and I don't feel any pain, stinging or burning!

Boils

Husband got what looked like a pimple on his neck. By the next night it had gotten worrisome big. Went to your web site and found the sea salt cure. We dampened a wash cloth, poured some sea salt on it, and he held it on the boil for twenty minutes. It went down in just twenty minutes! We taped a cotton ball soaked in castor oil and dipped in the salt for three nights, and the thing is gone. Thank you so much Carol Ann

Boils, Staph

Three weeks ago my daughter came to me with what we thought might be insect bites on the upper part of her leg (bottom of her bottom). They hurt. Visually they didn't look like much more than a mosquito bite. Three days later she came to me again. The "bites" had escalated frighteningly!! They had turned black on the inside and were whelped in red. Before we jumped into the car for the hospital (Sunday), I sat her in a soaking tub of Sea Salt - like half the container of it. After 20 minutes there was an incredibly noticable difference!! The red and the whelps had both gone down. I ran to the store and bought 5 containers of sea salt and had her sit in it twice a day. I had to go out of town shortly thereafter for a week. During this time she let the salt soaks lax and was not interested at all in showing her father the problem (LOL), When I got home the lesions were on BOTH of her upper legs!! Back to the store for more salt. I've had her sit in it three times a day. It's been three days and they are almost completely GONE!! It's unbelievable!!

Conjunctivitis

I use sea salt and filtered water for pink eye/conjunctivitis all the time. I have 4 kids and for some reason they are susceptible to pink eye. (I've gotten it a few times from treating them... Very contagious) I have little rubber 1/4 c dishes (from kitchen) and use them to mix 1/8 tsp sea salt with 1/4 c water. I make the child put eye up to cup and tip head back (kind of suctions to their eye), they open eye as much as they can, then dump out and rinse container. Do same with other eye. Don't cross contaminate or will spread to other eye. Only takes about 3-4 days. I do it 3 or more times a day. Dry with a clean, new cloth each time. Do not rub eyes with same hand... Will spread. Might sting slightly, but usually their eyes feel better almost right away.

As a child I had a horrible case of conjunctivitis. For over a month, I suffered from home with absolutely no change no matter how much eye drops or medication the doctor's prescribed me. My family finally took our yearly trip to the beach and after a day, my eye infection was completely gone. When we returned and returned to the doctor for a checkup, my pediatrician chuckled and said, oh "You went to the beach, the ocen clears that right up!" My mother could NOT believe it. We surely would have hightailed it to the beach a week into the conjunctivitis had we known! As a result of my month long infection, I had permanent vision damage and had to have membraned PEELED off my eyelids. I am just thankful the beach trip and swimming in the ocean happened when it did, otherwise, I might have had even greater eye damage. I'm lucky I only have to wear glasses/contacts for the rest of my life.

In the city I live in they have a very cool salt room your seated in sea salt room and your breathing in salt even your feet are placed in sea salt. Apparently some some doctors that went to I believe it was Europe where they first saw salt rooms used for healing all types of ailments. Inspired they brought it to the state! Sea Salt rooms are highly beneficial for respiratory issues, and infections. So your dr is right but it is pretty ancient art!

Hi Sophe, This is awesome information! I know there is a sea salt room locally as I read about it a few months ago and keep meaning to check it out. Through busy-ness I keep forgetting but this is a great reminder and testimony so today I am going to find out about it and make a visit! I will make sure I write about it here on EC afterwards. Best to you and thanks, Lisa

Constipation

Sea Salt cure for Constipation. Works like a charm! Although I've tried this two ways. I've use epsom salt as well...but it is quite gross and you may throw up, so sea salt is much easier on the taste buds. It could take anywhere from 10mins to 2 hours. If its not working, try drinking more water...the salt is dehydrating your system!! This is probably the most comfortable way than taking a laxative. I tend to get cramping from everything else, ie sienna tea. sea salt is the way to go!

I use 2 tsp of unrefined sea salt mixed with 1 1/2 to 2 quarts warm water. I was told not to "chug" it, but I do just to get it down. The last half glass is very difficult to get down. Within an hour, you are visiting the bathroom multiple times. I use this as a system flush for candida/fungus/bacteria, but it works perfectly for constipation.

So, am I doing something wrong. I tried this and got dizzy and had to lay down for an hours. Felt awful. And now it's the next day and still no BM. I've tried the ACV, baking soda, senna herb, aloe. . . . And still nothing. I'm getting scared. Any help? I haven't tried the magnesium yet though.

Good Afternoon, Lctao4, from Gainsville, Fla. , Your strong negative physical reaction to the sea salt water may indicate that your potassium is low. Sodium and potassium have a "push and pull" relationship in the body's cells. If there is too much of one, movements of fluids and solids can become disrupted from the way of the cellular passage, as to the way of the intestinal passage. Potassium is a very active ingredient in foods recommended for constipation such as : blackstrap molasses, seaweed, honeydew melon, prunes, beet greens, etc. If you need a supplement, potassium bicarbonate or potassium gluconate can be very effective in the right amount for you. Magnesium can also be effective, in the right amount. Magnesium citrate is a good compound. Of course, the consumption of just enough fluids, fiber, probiotics, etc. Are recomended to us and they are helpful. I accidentally constipated myself recently by taking too many acids in my supplements. Ted from Bankok is correct, from my vantage, when he writes that an acidic condition can cause constipation. The causes are many, as are the treatments. ( Potassium Bicarbonate on an empty stomach also aids intestinal malaise and gas. ) Thank You EC, and may we all have gentle passages, Connie

Some people are so backed up they have to have an enema to clean themselves out. If you are taking this and are still having no BM's an enema is needed. You can do it yourselves with a kit. Also walking and massaging the stomach in a left to right circle could help.

For severe constipation, the best remedy is epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) because magnesium in high doses is a natural laxative. If you don't get relief from the constipation it merely means that you have not taken enough epsom salts. I would not take sea salt as something to relieve constipation.

As I said, if the epsom salts are not working just keep increasing the dosage (in not too large increments) to see the amount needed to induce a bowel movement.

What works for me for severe constipation is Castor oil. One tablespoon. But if you try it, take it only on a weekend you have off. Stay home because you don't know when it's going to work.Works on me like drain-O on a drain.

Healthy elimination has been a part of my family for 4 generations. My grandmother gave us strong (warm, not hot) coffee enemas when we had flu and it worked. Recently my 87 yr old Mom got constipated and I gave her a mineral oil enema. They come pre-packaged for one use, or purchase a full bottle of mineral oil and use some of it in a regular enema bag. It goes in slowly and is retained in the body until you natually eliminate. There is no pain, and although it may take a few hours or even a day, it doesn't cause any discomfort.

A regular, warm water enema is my first choice, and NEVER use the pre-packaged enemas with all of the other ingredients. If I travel, I will take one of those individual enema containers, empty it, and put it in the suitcase, and then use purified water if I need to fill it and use it in my long travels.

High Blood Pressure

Sea Salt lowers High BP. I went on the water cure 2 website.. I saw on there that water and real sea salt could lower my bp. I tried it. wow it is awesome my bp went to normal after 2 days I stayed on it and oh boy all sorts of things happened. I have not had a cold flu or been sick since. I am so happy.

I have high blood pressure and I would like to find a more natural method of lowering my pressure than taking lisniprol and HCTZ. Can you tell me ratio of sea salt to water used to lower your pressure per this blog.

I have been drinking a glass of water with a well leveled tsp of sea salt every night, and I usually do this at least 1 hr after my last meal... It just feels better that way. I drink plenty of fluid during the day. I have been on this diet for a long time now. This remedy completely cleared my acne, I'm hardly ever sick, and in general, I seem to feel better. My digestion is also ever better which I used to have problems with.

High Blood Pressure, Toenail Fungus

I started the sea salt cure about 3 weeks ago and two noticeable things have happened...My Blood pressure has gone down to 120/88 from 142/90 and my toe fungis is gone .... I was so excited! I drink 32 oz twice a day with 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt...Who new?? :)

Hi Healthy248, I am sure it would only be a mineral difference, since they are found in two different places they would have a slightly different trace mineral composition. They are both very much better than Table Salt. Cheers Lily.

Actually Himalayan Crystal Salt has 94 minerals and one of them is iodine as documented by Dr.med.Barbara Hendel and Peter Ferreira in their book "Water & Salt The Essence Of Life". I've been using Himalyan salt for over three years and have experienced numerous health benefits. From what I've read (correct me if I'm wrong) celtic sea salt has 82 minerals. With all the pollution in the waters of the world I'm sure it has an effect on the quality of the sea salt.